Mike McGlinchey’s absence from Week 2 of the preseason wasn’t a huge surprise. The 49ers sat most of their starters. However, there’s more to McGlinchey’s absence and now he won’t play in the preseason finale vs. Houston when head coach Kyle Shanahan expects most of the starters to suit up.
Shanahan on a conference call Sunday said third-year offensive lineman Colton McKivitz would start the preseason finale while McGlinchey deals with some knee irritation he sustained in the preseason opener vs. Green Bay.
Perhaps McGlinchey is resting in an effort to be ready for Week 1, but McKivitz’s absence from Week 2’s preseason contest in a game where a slew of starters sat is at least some indication the club is angling to have him ready to start the regular season opener in Chicago.
There are a lot of moving parts on the offensive line heading into the final week of the preseason, and McGlinchey’s health is certainly worth keeping a close eye on with less than three weeks left until the 49ers’ Week 1 game.
